Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-3 (Arr. by Ries & Ebers)
2/28/2020, 12 Tracks, 1:37:35
Featuring
Compagnia di Punto
Ludwig van Beethoven
Did you know?
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Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven believed his music was striking out 'in a new direction' and intentionally challenged listeners by sometimes making melody secondary, forcing them to explore deeper musical structures.
Interpretation
This recording features arrangements of Beethoven's symphonies by Ferdinand Ries and Carl Friedrich Ebers, with modifications made by the performers to align with Beethoven's original performance markings and instrumental intentions.
Composition History
Beethoven found ideal working conditions in the town mansions of Princes Lichnowsky, Kinsky, and Lobkowitz, whose private concert halls served as laboratories for his new works.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Beethoven was not against arrangements of his works in principle, but he demanded the highest skill from arrangers, considering a good arrangement to be like a new composition.
Compositional Technique
Beethoven's First Symphony, composed in 1800, showed a dramatic increase in dynamic markings compared to Mozart's 'Jupiter' Symphony, with more than double the forte markings and new fortissimo and pianissimo instructions.
Historical Context
In Beethoven's time, before recording devices, large-scale musical works were primarily disseminated in the form of arrangements for smaller ensembles, allowing them to reach wealthy households.
Composer Biography
Beethoven was delighted by the invention of the metronome, as it allowed him to specify the speed of every passage with prescriptive accuracy, a project he followed enthusiastically.
